This invention relates to a load spacer for use between adjacent articles or containers of freight which may be collapsed to a compact package for shipment or storage but can be readily expanded for use. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved method for suspending the load spacer between adjacent articles of freight from the tops thereof.
In the loading of a freight container such as a railroad boxcar or other freight shipping vehicle or container, it frequently happens that the loads placed therein do not completely fill up the available storage space. Thus, there are left one or more vertical spaces between closely spaced adjacent unit loads of goods or between the loads and the walls of the shipping container. These spaces should be filled in order to prevent side shifting of the loads during transit which could cause damage to the load.
Prior to the present invention, various forms of load spacers or void fillers have been proposed for filling these planar spaces. One particular form of load spacer is a collapsible, honeycomb structure in which a stack of rectangular strips of sheet material, for example, corrugated paperboard, are glued to adjacent strips at spaced and staggered positions such that when expanded the strips define a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cells. These load spacers typically include one or more elongated, relatively rigid suspension members extending transversely of the honeycomb structure to permit the spacer to be hung for use between a pair of spaced apart articles of freight. The honeycomb structure then expands downwardly between the articles under its own weight or it is pulled downwardly to the bottom of the stack. When no longer needed, the load spacer may then be removed and stored in a collapsed condition for later use. Patents representative of this state of the art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,862,607; 3,842,757; 3,823,675; 3,618,535; and 3,593,671.
Prior workers have addressed themselves to the problem of suspending the load spacer between the articles of freight. For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,618,535 and 3,593,671, it is suggested that wooden slats be riveted to the upper or top strip of sheet material so that they may be swung to lie either between the lateral confines of the spacer or transversely of the structure. In the embodiments illustrated in these patents, two rivets support the entire weight of the spacer. A typical spacer might weigh as much as 15 pounds, and these rivets have a tendency to snap during use allowing the spacer to drop. Moreover, the suspension members, although pivotable about the rivets, cannot be moved in a direction transverse to the sides of the spacer. Thus, it is impossible to suspend the spacer by cantilevering one end of the suspension members from the tops of the load of freight as would be required in suspending the spacer between the freight and the end or side walls of the freight container.
Another form of suspension system, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,757, involves the use of two pieces of wood, such as pieces of wood lath, which are inserted through the honeycomb cells beneath the top strip of sheet material. In this construction, the suspension member is separate from the load spacer and requires the user to actually insert the member through the cell. The wood lath also has a tendency to vibrate out of position permitting the load spacer to collapse. Because the suspension members are not attached to the load spacer some means, e.g., a tie band, also must be provided to secure them to the spacer during shipment and storage.
Other suspension systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,607 and 3,823,675, wherein the suspension system includes a gimbal attached to the top sheet of the load spacer, for example, by means of pins or staples. Again, in these systems, the attaching member supports the entire weight of the spacer and tends to pull or snap out permitting the spacer to drop.